Episode 2.02: Rivulets of Copper, Eyes Aflame

[Nolmir]

OOC: Davy, would Tobin's Testing  A Theory talent apply in this situation for an extra d20?

I'll go ahead and make the normal roll for now to keep things moving:
Tobin's Insight 9 + Science 5 vs. Difficulty 2

Rolled 2d20 : 15, 3, total 18

[Nolmir]

OOC: Well, if Testing a Theory doesn't apply, Treyva or Cole well definitely have to chip in with an assist.

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Yes, Testing a Theory will apply, as you succeeded in your trace task in the earlier scene. Feel free to roll that extra die.

Okay, Renny & Patrick, please provide your assist rolls.

[Nolmir]

OOC: The extra d20 for Testing a Theory:

Rolled 1d20 : 3, total 3

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: Treyva Assist roll, Insight + Science (9/5), TN14, Observation Focus in play

Rolled 1d20 : 14, total 14

Let's see how this fares.

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: By the skin of my Denobulan teeth, but I'll take it.

[Renny]

OOC: Sorry for the delay. Here's Cole's assist -

Insight + Security (9/5).

Rolled 1d20 : 2, total 2

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Tobin has 2 Successes, Treyva adds 1 Success, and Cole adds 1 Success. 4 Successes vs. Difficulty 2. Success, plus 2 Momentum generated!

Current
Momentum 0 (2 pending, Tobin)
Threat 10

Asha's algorithm transforms a task that would've taken days, if not weeks, to accomplish into only three hours of data parsing by the investigative team. What's left is a series of anomalous transporter tags that bracket each incident - one pair arriving at the scene and one pair departing.

A normal departure-destination tag pairing will be linked by a single "transport activity identification code." This code is the last 97 alpha-numeric characters on each tag, and is unique to a single transport. The anomalous tags in question are orphans, repeated TAICs from transports hours or even days prior (and for which the departure-arrival pair has been matched).

Other orphans are discovered from the days of the various murders. These pairs have one location in common: Shival Overlook Monastery.*

* The monastery is the departure site for the transport before the murders, and the arrival site for the transport following the murders. -Ed

OOC: Any momentum spends?

[Renny]

OOC: if we have Momentum to spend I would suggest it's worth looking to confirm that the times of those transports align with the incidents in question which would surely be enough evidence to convince the Vulcan authorities to seize transporter records and security footage if any from the monastery to try and identify the person or persons using the monastery transporter at those times.

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Sorry about the lack of clarity on my part. You folks can confirm with the information on hand that the anomalous TAICs to and from the monastery align with the estimated times of death. I'll further clarify that each transport to or from the monastery took place within 90 minutes of each murder.

[Nolmir]

"This does seem to bear out my suspicions," Tobin says, after the anomalous logs are identified. "And my initial readings after the attack on Sorak's parents also make more sense now. Our perpetrator is bouncing their transporter signal around the planetary network using old ID codes."

OOC: Well, that seems pretty damning. Does the data bear out that the departures/arrivals at the monastery are the first/last of the anomalous codes in each incident? (Spending a Momentum if needed.)

It seems like the next course of action will have to be what Renny suggested, regarding having the authorities seize evidence from the monastery. I think we should also work to establish whether Kavoran is capable of manipulating the transporter codes, or is associated with someone who could.

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: I'm going to call this an Obtain Information request. 1 Momentum spent. Remember, Tobin's Studious Talent gives him one free question on an Obtain Information Momentum spend.

Tobin determines the sequence for each attack is as follows:

A. 30-90 minutes before estimated time of death (ETD) - transport from monastery to intermediate location
- No two intermediate locations are the same

B. 1-10 minutes before ETD - transport from intermediate location to attack site

C. 1 minute before to 1 minute after ETD - transport from attack site to different intermediate location
- Again, no two intermediate locations are the same, and none match an incoming intermediate location

D. 30-90 minutes after ETD - transport from intermediate location to monastery

The orphaned TAICs are all consistent in this regard.

After Tobin explains his assessment to the others, Sorak nods his head and asks, "If I recall correctly, you observed personal identities cycling through during the transport attempt from Spalan's estate. Do these records also show anomalous personal identities?"

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: Nolmir, don't forget that you have Talents and role abilities that give you free Momentum for Obtain Information spends.

[Nolmir]

OOC: Sorry guys, had a busy weekend. I'd like to use Tobin's free Obtain Information to answer Sorak's question on the personal identities (I'd forgotten all about that!).

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Bonus question acknowledged.

Just for clarity, each transport on the Vulcan network is identified using four elements:
1. Timestamp in Federation Stardate notation (to the fourth decimal (i.e., 0.24 seconds)).
2. Federation Standard Transporter Personal Identity Tag (PIT or ID Tag).
3. Vulcan planetary XYZ coordinates (which extend to geosynchronous orbit).
4. Transporter Activity Identification Code (TAIC).

When combined, these four elements are called a Unique Transport Catalogue Tag (TCT).

His memory jogged by the XO, Tobin finds that each departure-destination pair shows a different personal identity tag, and no identity repeats for any of the orphaned tags. In fact, Lt. Thadis is listed on a departure from the Sas-a-Shar research station, a full 22 minutes after his recorded arrival aboard the ship from that very location, and last night's transport from the monastery ahead of the attacks bears Lt. Cole's identity.

Asha, looking at the data with amazement, wonders aloud, "This is...incredible, really. But, it all seems so circumstantial; how does this tie to our suspect? I expect there are several monks who could've taken the sword when Kavoran wasn't with it."

"That is correct. While this evidence is approximately 83.488 percent sufficient to exonerate Lt. Thadis, it is less so to arrest and charge another," T'Kiri admits. "Mr. Thadis, is there anything common to these orphaned tags that could help us focus our search? If it is a device creating these anomalies, does it have a signature of some kind that we can identify?"

OOC: Any other spends? Remember, Threat is available to purchase.

Current
Momentum 0 (1 pending, Tobin)
Threat 10